Sir Cadogan's Portrait Excursion
By: Aria Breuer
Disclaimers: I do not own the Harry Potter books or Sir Cadogan. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing Sir Cadogan and the portraits, but the story itself belongs to me.
I noticed there were few stories on Sir Cadogan, a part from the original source. For a knight in a portrait, he too has become my favorite. This one-shot merely shows the chaos that Sir Cadogan endeavors as he journeys from portrait to portrait. This is also inspired by the game from the "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" DVD, where Sir Cadogan takes a flight through the portraits. As for the portraits themselves, this one-shot will be a fly-through, so some portraits you may remember from the books and the games.
The Hogwarts students were relieved when the Fat Lady's portrait was returned to the front of the Gryffindor common room. Sir Cadogan was out of the job, yet he felt an ambition to explore, hoping for the next adventure. The Fat Lady noticed his anxious behavior.
"What will you do, Sir Cadogan? Surely you want to return to your portrait," said the Fat Lady.
"Nay, my good lady. Adventure is in my heart, and I shall seek it. My fat pony can wait. It's time for me to see what other action there is," said Sir Cadogan. Boldly, he left the Fat Lady's portrait.
Sir Cadogan's first journey was getting out of the Grand Staircase. He passed through several portraits, annoying the residents there. As he climbed up and down set of painted staircases, Sir Cadogan passed by a giraffe, who was walking towards another portrait.
"I dare say, look out!" said Sir Cadogan, gruffly.
He climbed another set of stairs, but ended up stuck on the fifth floor. There he heard the portrait of Timothy the Timid cry out in delight:
"Yes, cover him up! Thank you, kind students. Thank you!" said Timothy the Timid.
Sir Cadogan landed himself in a blocked portrait. He turned around, just as he stared at a staring eyeball.
"I say, who are you?" asked the staring eyeball in a gruff masculine voice.
"How dare you!" cried Sir Cadogan, boldly pulling out his sword. As he did, the poor fellow slipped on the eye's mucus.
The staring eyeball was disgusted. "I say, get out of my portrait this instance." He added, appalled, "I cannot believe the action going on here. First, I get stuck in a hallway that is not to my liking. Now I'm stuck with – this!"
Sir Cadogan stood up in a clumsy manner. He poked the eyball, causing the eye to turn a sickly pick color.
"Ouch! That hurts!" the staring eyeball yelled, "Get – out – of – my – portrait!"
Sir Cadogan pulled out his sword. "Of all the nerve. Fear not, for my quest has just begun! Such an odd eyeball." He flew from the portrait, back to the painted stairwell.
In spite of the brash meeting with the eyeball, Sir Cadogan knew his quest would not deter. He was confident he would find the right portrait for him. After a rush through several more portraits, Sir Cadogan got whacked in the face by flying fruit. He had entered a portrait with a fruit bowl, but the fruit was acting up. Sir Cadogan dodged fruit here and there, before falling to the stone floor once again.
"I'm getting out of here," said Sir Cadogan, rushing out of the portrait. "What else could go wrong?"
He wasn't far off. Sir Cadogan ended up in the portrait with the monks. They were a solemn group, but weren't what Sir Cadogan was looking for. He left the portrait before the monks noticed him, but how could they? The monks were delved into their prayers and reading from the Bible to notice him. Somehow, after a crossing through a clock tower portrait, Sir Cadogan found his way into a portrait with beautiful women. The women were terrified the second Sir Cadogan barged into their portrait.
"Excuse me, ladies," said Sir Cadogan, passing through the portrait quickly.
That's it. Cadogan was lost in a sea of portraits, and none were what suited him. Suddenly, his portrait with the grey pony seemed more to his taste. But where was that portrait. Eventually, he stopped at a sheep portrait, where a shepherdess was tending the sheep. She spoke in a Yorkshire accent.
"What's the trouble, Sir Cadogan?" asked the shepherdess.
"Mercy me, I'm lost," said Cadogan.
"Well, don' get yourself down. The seventh floor corridor is a ways from here, but you'll find your way back," said the shepherdess.
"I had hoped for an adventure, and it's been a flight getting from one portrait to the next," said Cadogan. He struck a thought, brightening up. "Say, it has been an adventure. Now, where's my pony got to? Dastardly villains don't stand a chance."
As Sir Cadogan left the portrait, the shepherdess said, "He'll work it out. He always does."
Remembering his path, Sir Cadogan traveled once again up the painted stairwells and across many corridors. He passed through one portrait to the next, excusing himself as he troubled the people and animals. He could feel he was back on the seventh floor, as the windy air felt familiar. Then he landed in the grassy green portrait. His helmet crashed in front of his face, causing Sir Cadogan to pull the grated lid back up. His grey pony wasn't pleased to see him, yet the pony mindlessly worked on chewing the grass it ate.
Sir Cadogan shook his head. "You always were a useless pony. Nevertheless, I am back where I belong." He reflected, "What an adventure. Let's hope another quest comes along."
Thanks for reading. :)